Give Your Book Club the Gift of Deliciousness with this Chocolate Satin Cake Recipe

Nothing puts a smile on everyone’s faces quite like chocolate. This month, as your book club gathers to discuss the wonderful Map of the Heart by Susan Wiggs, serve up this delectable Chocolate Satin Cake. It will have your guests spooning their bowls and licking their spoons clean.

Who better to serve us a most delectable dessert recipe for Chocolate Satin Cake than the renowned Patricia Wells, famed author of the bestselling cookbook, My Master Recipes?  This incredible collection of unique and original recipes are drawn from Patricia’s cooking schools in France—and they totally complement the beautiful and atmospheric novel, Map of the Heart by Susan Wiggs, set in the inviting Provence of France.

If you’re like us, and you’re looking to create a deliciously rich homemade dessert that will light up the eyes of your guests, this is certainly the dessert you’ll want to be serving . Pair it with a bottle of Sutter Home Cabernet Sauvignon to keep the conversation flowing as easily as the wine.

What you need:

• EQUIPMENT: A sifter; a heavy-duty mixer fitted with a whisk; a 6-quart (6 l) metal bowl; a 1-1/2-quart (1.5 l) saucepan; an attractive 2-quart (2 l) serving bowl.
• 10 ounces (300 g) 70% bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (see Notes) 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon Homemade Vanilla Extract (page 439) or pure vanilla extract 2 cups (500 ml) heavy cream
• 3 large egg whites, free-range and organic, at room temperature (see Notes) 1 cup (120 g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted

How it’s made:

1. Place the chocolate in the metal bowl. Sprinkle with the salt and vanilla extract.
2. In the saucepan, bring the cream just to a simmer over medium heat. Pour the hot cream into the bowl with the chocolate and, working rapidly, mix with a wooden spoon to melt the chocolate until you have a smooth and glossy texture, about 2 minutes. Let cool.
3. In the bowl of the mixer, whisk the egg whites at the highest speed until frothy, about 10 seconds. Continue whisking until soft peaks form, about 1 minute more. Add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time and whisk at the highest speed until satiny and stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes more. The mixture should be airy, glossy, and stiff like a meringue.
4. Add about one-quarter of the egg white mixture to the cooled chocolate mixture to lighten it. Whisk gently until no streaks of white remain. Spoon the rest of the whipped egg white on top of the mixture in the bowl. Fold in the whipped egg white by hand: Using the edge of the spatula or a large metal spoon, cut through the two mixtures until you reach the bottom, then draw the spoon along the bottom of the bowl. Turn your wrist to bring the spoon up the side of the bowl, lightly bringing the chocolate mixture from the bottom to the top. As you do so, turn the bowl about 45 degrees, lightly overturning the spoon to fold the chocolate on top of the egg whites. Turning the bowl as you fold will incorporate the mixtures more efficiently. Continue cutting into the mixture and folding until just incorporated.
5. Pour the mixture into the serving bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 6 hours or up to 1 week. The dessert will be firmer than a mousse but not as firm as a cake or brownie. Scoop into ice cream bowls with an ice cream scoop or large, rounded spoon. Serve chilled.

Maybe leave the cake for the end, as no one will want to put down their spoons to talk once this treat is served.

Haven’t read the book yet? Check out our review here to get caught up: https://sutterhome.com/map-heart-book-club-pick-cant-put/